University features in a new report highlighting £3.9billion to the UK economy from Sports and Exercise Science

Mon, 10/06/2019 - 11:03

Equivalent to supporting over 147,300 jobs

Sports and Exercise Science (SES) students/graduates show a social and public benefit of £7.8billion

96 per cent of SES graduates stay in the UK

A SES graduate will earn £667,000 more in their working life compared to if they had a Level 3 education (A levels/Advanced Highers)

71% of SES graduates are employed in SES or related occupations

University of Chichester’s Institute of Sport contributes to this impact with a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses

A report into the economic and wider benefits of Sports and Exercise Science (SES) students and graduates to the UK has been commissioned and published by The Physiology Society, GuildHE and Esmi, and among other findings it has highlighted that SES graduates in the workplace provide added income of £3.9 billion to the UK economy.

The report also found that SES students who graduated in 2016-17 will contribute a value of £7.8 billion to society over the course of their working lives. This comprises: £6.15 billion in income from lifetime earnings and increased business output; £1.35 billion in added tax revenues and; £267.1 million in social and public savings related to health, crime and income assistance.

There is also benefit to SES graduates themselves: for every £1 they invest in the education they will get £5.50 back in future earnings. A SES graduate is likely to earn £667,000 more in earnings across their working life because of their degree, when compared those who have qualifications equivalent to A-levels or Advanced Highers.

At a time when the UK is working to retain the skills of those who have come through its education system, the report found that 96% of SES graduates stayed in the UK following graduation, and that 71% were employed in SES or related occupations six months after graduation.

The report identifies that SES covers more than sporting performance and development – its disciplines are used across industry, public services and defence. The report contains a number of case studies from UK universities, and the one from the University of Chichester supports this point.

Its Occupational Performance Research Group (OPRG) develops evidence-based solutions to enhance the health and performance of those working in physically-demanding jobs. Its published research includes the impact of nutrition on the recovery of muscle function; the application of mathematical models to estimate load carriage ability, and; the development of gender-free, role-related physical employment standards for the UK’s military and emergency services.

Wider research from the OPRG ranges from quantifying the physical demands placed on military and emergency services personnel in extreme environments, to identifying genes that may be linked with responses to physical training.

Professor Steve Myers co-leads the OPRG team with Dr Sam Blacker at the University of Chichester. He said: “We are delighted to have played a role in this report and we welcome its findings, which show a clear and beneficial impact from academic SES activities. There is a real translation of research results from the academic to practice across any number of applications, and this is shown by the report.”

Dr Blacker added: “The report illustrates the broad range of roles in which sport and exercise graduates are employed. Developing academic, technical and employability skills are a core focus of the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees delivered by the Institute of Sport. As a result, University of Chichester graduates have a strong track record of working in roles such as those described in the report.”